Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: site design.

[mark (mark]

I tend to agree with what Joyce states below, with a couple of added 
caveats. For example, it may seem obvious but I'd think you'd want to 
make sure that your architect is willing, even eager, to actually 
MAKE the effort to learn about cohousing design, some of which is 
counter-intuitive in nature.  This takes a certain amount of 
humility, a trait which is more apparent in some architects than in 
others.

More importantly, if your group is expecting to participate in any 
substantial way in the design process, I think it important that your 
architect be skilled in working with large, unruly and perhaps 
unfocused groups.  Cohousing-style design-by-consensus is not the 
sort of thing that most architects seem to have much experience with, 
and I think it makes a real difference.  I do note that the standard 
response from architectural professionals is some version of "Oh, of 
course; I've worked with lots of nonprofit boards, which is pretty 
much the same thing."  This may be perfectly true.

A third factor which I think worth considering is that architects 
experienced in cohousing design may bring all sorts of other skills 
and resources when they enter into relationships with your group. 
Chuck and Katie were very instrumental in getting our project built 
in a variety of ways, not the least limited to architectural design 
and site supervision.


My experience and perceptions are, of course, somewhat limited, and 
I'd be interested in hearing from others, including design 
professionals.

Mark
(Bellingham Cohousing)

> I agree with your landscape architects, as an architect who did design Marsh
> Commons in Arcata Ca., I think that the concepts of Cohousing are not so
> difficult that any architect whose attitude and work you like cannot learn
> the design principles fairly easily.  I also think that you should pay very
> close attention to the other work your architect had done to see if they have
> skills at relating carefully to the environment, handling natural light in
> creative ways, and designing living spaces that work well for the occupants. 
> Joyce Plath
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